Who would leftists bring to power ousting me: PM Hasina 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday has said it is not clear whom the country's leftist parties would want to bring to power by ousting her.

"The leftists have turned by 90 degrees. Well, they want to oust me. But could they determine who would come next? That is my question. Who would come to power and who would work for the country? It is not clear who they want to bring," she said while addressing a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganabhaban on the outcome of her recent six-day visit to Thailand.

"Yes, a movement is being carried out. Staying in a foreign land as a fugitive, someone is carrying out a movement as well as giving orders online everyday – thanks to Digital Bangladesh," she added.

"Those who are waging a movement, let them do it. We are not hindering it," she said.

Criticising the ways of the US in curbing ongoing demonstrations carried out against Israeli aggression on Palestine, the premier said there is a possibility now for Bangladesh to stop the movement here following the Americans.

"I think our police now can follow the American police. We asked them [Bangladesh Police] to show patience," she said, mentioning that a member of the security force was beaten to death in October 2023.

"So, our police can take measures to curb movement like Americans," she went on. 

Replying to another question, the prime minister said her government's goal is to make the ongoing upazila election a meaningful one. 

In this context, she said a good number of political parties boycott elections as they have no capacity to run in the polls.

"Why do they boycott elections? The reason is that they actually don't have capacity to compete in the elections," said Sheikh Hasina, also the President of ruling Bangladesh Awami League.

The prime minister returned to Bangladesh on 29 April after concluding her visit, which began on 24 April at the invitation of her Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin.